All-Star Cheer captain help

[MVE Coach]

This year we are wanting to pick out captain for our senior squad, I am thinking I want to have two.

My question is, what are your opinions and thoughts of having captains. Also what do you think the responsibilities of a captain is?

I have asked a lot of kids (from a different gym) who have had captains but they didn't like them because they didn't do much, they just led stretches and don't see the point. How do I get them excited or want to have a captain.

My view of a captain is someone who is a mini coach. They have/are:
> great leadership skills
>great attitude
>motivator
>organized
>the voice of the coach and the kids

Any thoughts or suggestions!
Thank you,
MVE Senior Coaches

 

[JoFTZEW21]

My team never had an official captain but we always had a girl who was super positive kind of naturally lead the team. They always lead stretches but they also kept the drama out of the gym and if there was drama she would deal with it so our coach didnt have to (unless it was severe enough our coach had to know). It always was a senior but i don't think thats a must.All of the younger girls or newer girls kind of saw her as a big sister, they could go to her with anything and feel comfortable asking her anything from what the count of the stunt is, to discussing a problem she has with someone else on the team. I guess, someone who's good at leading a group of teenage girls/boys and soemone who can keep the team in a positive state of mind!

 

[Deleted member 25054]

My high school team had two, and being one of them was an honor. Only 3 year varsity seniors were eligible, and we were picked after we had gone to camp based on our responsibility, leadership skills etc. I don't think one is enough because it really is a lot of work, and kept us level headed: neither of us went one some kind of power trip/tirade. It takes some pressure off of the coaches since we were a lot easier to approach with problems and questions being the same age as the girls. We planned fun team events, led practices, called cheers at the games, picked what different stunts to do at games, made competition team goodie bags and fun stuff like that. I loved the experience.

 

[retiredcheerleader86]

For my senior all star team, the "captains" were never called such but returning cheerleaders that were seniors (in high school) were the "leaders" of the team.


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[alexamarysouza]

I personally don't like the idea of having captains. When I cheered for my HS, we didn't have captains, because our coaches were afraid one girl would feel superior to another. We did have obvious leaders on the team, but they weren't considered "captains", because ultimately, our coaches had the superiority.
I've also never had a captain in Allstar, but there's also obvious leaders...Generally the older kids, or the kids with more experience...the ones who pump up the team before a full out or on competition days. This is great because nobody gets over-confident about being in charge of the team, and everybody gets to lead at one time or another.
In my opinion, there's really no need for captains. Just sayin.


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[MVE Coach]

Exactly... one of our coaches believe that if we have captains then it will make a divide. When I cheered and had captains it wasn't "this is your captain" it was always the seniors on the squad. It was sort of a rightnof passage. You knew that that was your role as a senior in HS

 

[CoachKelly]

We do not do Captains for our All Star squad, my thought is you spend so much time telling them they are a team and getting them to work together then you appoint one or two girls to be Captain. Seems like your counter acting what your saying. Our Seniors usually end up stepping up and helping the younger ones so it works out

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